Fellowship and grant opportunities
Let us know you’re applying for a grant by completing the Notification of Intent Form.
The links below provide additional detail for major fellowship and grant opportunities, including links to funding rules, contacts, key dates, application deadlines and resources. The 2023-2024 major grants round calendar is also available for download.
For more funding opportunities, search the Pivot-Research Professional (Pivot-RP) database. More details on this database can be found below under ‘Research Grant Resources’.
Fellowship and Grant Opportunities
ARC
Fellowships
Australian Laureate Fellowships
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award
Early Career Industry Fellowships
Mid-Career Industry Fellowships
Grants
Discovery Projects - FULL APPLICATIONS OPEN
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs
Industrial Transformation Training Centres
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
Linkage Projects - OPEN
NHMRC
Ideas Grants - OPEN
Investigator Grants
Synergy Grants
Strategic and Leveraging Grants
Centres of Research Excellence
EU Collaborative Research Grants
NHMRC–NIHR (UK) Collaborative Research Grants
Partnership Projects - OPEN
Clinical Trials and Cohorts Studies
Targeted Call for Research - OPEN
Postgraduate Scholarships - OPEN
Special Funding Calls
e-ASIA 2024 Joint Research Program
NHMRC-AMED 2022 Dementia Collaborative Research Scheme
NHMRC-NEURON Funding Call 2024
NHMRC-JPIAMRF Funding Call 2024-OPEN
NHMRC-GACD 2024: Management of Multiple Long-Term Conditions- OPEN
NHMRC-EU Collaborative Research Grant Scheme 2024
Sapphire Quick Reference Guides (QRG)
MRFF
For MRFF Grants (submitted via the NHMRC Sapphire Grant portal) applicants will now be required to submit a formal DVCR Co-funding request. The DVCR Co-funding is to support MQ researchers to successfully complete their proposed NHMRC and MRFF projects by providing up to 20% co-funding on funds to remain at Macquarie. The goal is for the DVCR Co-funding is to facilitate MQ applicants in providing a ‘top-up’ of NHMRC salary costs (PSP’s), which are lower than MQ equivalent salary rates.
MRFF Strategies and Priorities
Researcher Exchange & Development in Industry (REDI) Fellowship (administered by MTPConnect)
MRFF Funding Opportunities and Successful Grant Recipients
MRFF Application Support and Templates
Sapphire Quick Reference Guides (QRG)
US Funding
Government
United States Department of Defense (DoD)
United States National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Trusts and Foundations
Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
David and Lucille Packard Foundation
EU Funding
Horizon Europe is the European Union’s (EU's) key funding program for research and innovation with a budget of €95.5 billion. It tackles climate change, helps to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and boosts the EU’s competitiveness and growth. The program facilitates collaboration and strengthens the impact of research and innovation in developing, supporting and implementing EU policies while tackling global challenges.
Pillar I Excellence Science
The first pillar of Horizon Europe - Excellent Science - supports frontier research and breakthrough scientific ideas, teams up the best researchers from Europe and beyond and equips them with skills and world-class research infrastructures.
European Research Council (ERC)
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Pillar II Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
The second pillar of Horizon Europe - Global Challenge and European Industrial Competitiveness- is established through clusters of research and innovation activities, in order to maximise integration and synergies across the respective thematic areas while securing high and sustainable levels of impact for the Union in relation to the resources that are expended.
View funding opportunities under this Pillar
* Horizon Europe also has a third pillar – Innovative Europe, which supports and connects innovators across Europe.
Internal Funding
Fellowships
MQ Fellowship for Indigenous Researchers Scheme - OPEN
Grants
MQ Carer Conference Support Scheme - OPEN
MQ Co-Funding Scheme - OPEN
MQ DVCR Discretionary Fund - OPEN
MQ Enterprise Partnerships Scheme - OPEN
MQ Research Acceleration Scheme - OPEN
Other External Funding
Australia-China Joint Research Centres
Australian-American Fulbright Scholarships
Capstone Editing Grant for Mid-Career Researchers
DAAD Australia-Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme
Horizon 2020 - Summary for Australian Researchers
Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation
National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education
For other external funding opportunities, search Pivot-RP
Impacts of COVID-19 on Research
Information on the Impacts of COVID-19 on External and Internal Research Funding
The ARC and NHMRC have confirmed that any variations to funded research projects and researchers that have been directly affected by the Coronavirus pandemic can be considered via their usual post-award procedures.
Impacts may involve changes in circumstances, including scope changes, personnel changes, suspensions and extensions to end dates. The ARC and NHMRC will consider variation requests on a case-by-case basis. It is currently recommended that requests for variation not be submitted immediately as circumstances are rapidly changing. The ARC has provided information, guidance and FAQs on the impact of COVID-19 at the Pre Award and Post Award stages. The NHMRC has released FAQs on the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on applications for NHMRC funding, peer review, grant management and other NHMRC processes.
The DVCR portfolio is in the process of establishing variation procedures for internal grants affected by Coronavirus. Please keep records of the nature and length of impacts of Coronavirus (e.g., research data collection impacted by an inability to recruit required participants from March 2020).
In relation to internal grants that are due to finish
- in late April-early June 2020 – please liaise with your Faculty Officers for submission of variation/carry forward requests.
- at the end of 2020 – please do not submit variation requests at this time. Post Award will be in touch with further information as it becomes available and in good time for variation requests, if necessary.
Meanwhile, the ARC, NHMRC, Macquarie and other organisations are continuing to administer schemes and provide updates on submission deadlines. The Pre Award team will share advice on changes but researchers can continue to aim for planned funding submissions in 2020.
- Pre Award – please refer to the Fellowship and grant opportunities links above for current details.
- Post Award FAQ – current information for Post Award management is available at Research Project Management COVID-19.
For further information on Macquarie University's response to COVID-19, please visit the Macquarie University’s COVID-19 website.
Research Grant Resources
Changes to Eligibility for DVCR Co-Funding
Eligibility for the DVCR Co-Funding Scheme is now contingent upon on-time submission of grant applications by your mandatory compliance and eligibility check. Many applications for external funding require cash and in-kind contributions from the host institution in order to be considered for funding. This funding includes project support funds, funding for research associates, scholarships, and major equipment and in most cases is processed via the DVCR Co-Funding scheme. View further information on deadlines, processes and FAQs
- Applications led by Macquarie University researchers must be submitted to the Research Services Grant Development Team 4 weeks prior to the external deadline, if requesting an optional strategic review and 2 weeks prior for a mandatory compliance and eligibility check. Please refer to the fellowships and grant opportunities webpage for information on deadlines and processes.
- Applications that do not have a Pure record and/or do not have all the appropriate approvals in Pure (Head of Department/School [HoD/HoS] and Deputy Dean of Research and Innovation [DDRI]) will not be submitted to the external funding body. It is the lead applicant’s responsibility to ensure the approvals in Pure are complete prior to submission.
Pivot-Research Professional (RP)
NEW! Macquarie University staff can use Pivot-Research Professional (Pivot-RP) to find research funding opportunities catered to your career level and discipline areas.
You can use the search box below to search for funding opportunities in Pivot-RP, but you must have an account to save your search results or receive email alerts about funding opportunities.
Please go to the Macquarie University Pivot-RP webpage for details about how to create your personal account and identify diverse funding opportunities using Pivot-RP.
2023-2024 Major Grants Round Calendar
Download the 2023-2024 major grants round calendar which contains important internal and external deadlines for ARC, NHMRC, Cancer Australia and Cancer Council funding opportunities.
Notification of Intent to Apply for a Grant
Let us know of your intention to apply for competitive research grants, engage with partners or work with philanthropic funders by completing the Notification of Intent (NOI) form.
You should complete the NOI as early as possible, even if you don’t have all the details.
After completing the NOI form, you will be provided with regular updates about your funding scheme and sent valuable resources that will assist you in developing a highly competitive research grant application.
Once reviewed by the appropriate research support team, the NOI will generate a Pure Application record. One form that will do two jobs. You will need to enrich the Pure record with additional details, but the NOI will do a lot of it for you! The newly developed form will be managed by the Grant Development Team in Research Services, and utilised by the Research Partnership Team in Research Innovation and Enterprise, and the Trusts and Foundations Team.
One form for all external funding opportunities!
Instructions for how to complete the NOI can be found here.
Training and Support
On the training and support page, view the successful grants library, find details on upcoming workshops, download slides and recordings from past workshops, and view other online resources, such as Advice Toolkits, Budget Calculators, NHMRC RGMS User Guides and general resources.
MQ Salary and Scholarship Rates
Download the MQ salary rates for proposals submitted in 2024 that contains the costs for academic, professional and PhD scholarships for grants
Salary on-costs
Macquarie University is liable for payment of costs additional to salaries and wages, including payroll tax, worker's compensation, superannuation and - where applicable - leave loading and severance. These additional costs are commonly referred to as 'on-costs'. Rates payable for on-cost components vary depending upon the employment type of the staff member.
The "Total on-costs" figure provided in the table below is the sum of the relevant on-cost components of payroll tax, superannuation etc. for that employment type. Rates provided are correct as at January 2024.
| Employment Type | Total on-costs | Payroll tax | Superannuation | Worker's compensation | Leave loading | Severance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuing | 25.75% | 7.00% | 17.00% | 0.45% | 1.30% | not payable |
| Fixed-term contract of 2 years or more | 26.50% | 7.00% | 17.00% | 0.45% | 1.30% | 0.75% |
| Fixed-term contract of less than 2 years | 26.50% | 7.00% | 17.00% | 0.45% | 1.30% | 0.75% |
| Casual | 17.45% | 7.00% | 11.00% | 0.45% | not payable | not payable |
Pure Research Management System
All research grant applications (apart from partner-funded research) must be submitted using the Pure Research Management System. This system is used to obtain the necessary approvals required for submitting grant applications.
Process for HDR Candidates Applying for External Funding
Macquarie University is supportive of Higher Degree Research (HDR) Candidates applying for relevant external grants, such as grants for travel, conference attendance, project costs, or scholarship top-ups. Nonetheless, the University expects that external research grants should not interfere with candidature at the University nor require extended periods of Offsite Research. HDR Candidates who intend on applying for external funding must follow this University process.
MQ Compliance Checking Deadline
Please note that unless stated otherwise (eg: major grant schemes such as those run by ARC and NHMRC), the Research Services deadline for draft applications to external funding agencies is a minimum of two weeks prior to that of the funding agency. View the grant applications process. This allows the proposals team to compliance check applications and provide feedback. Please contact your Faculty Research Office for the dates of earlier deadlines.
Open Access and Funding Compliance
This open access and funding compliance guide explains how to ensure research outputs are as openly accessible as possible (Open Access) and how to comply with Open Access policies of funding agencies (i.e ARC and NHMRC). Making research outputs as openly accessible as possible increases the impact of Macquarie’s research on wider audiences and helps increase citation rates for our researchers.